Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Calvin men’s and women’s track and field teams continue to be nationally-ranked. The Calvin women’s team is ranked 17th while the Calvin men’s team is ranked 25th in the latest set of Division III Top 25 rankings conducted by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association. Both Calvin teams will compete at the MIAA Jamboree hosted by Olivet on Saturday. The Jamboree website can be found online at: MIAA Jamboree Website

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The winter sports season was recently completed for NCAA Division III athletics and the latest set of Learfield Director’s Cup standings for Division III have been announced. Calvin is ranked ninth in the latest set of standings with 508 points. The Knights garnered 199.5 points during the recent winter sports season. The Learfield Director’sCup is based on points earned by teams that compete in NCAA Championship events and is presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to the best overall collegiate athletics program in the country. The Learfield Director’s Cup race is held at the NCAA I, II and III levels and also for NAIA institutions. Scoring points for Calvin during the winter season were the Calvin women’s basketball team (25 points), men’s basketball (64 points), women’s indoor track and field (47.5 points) and women’s swimming and diving team (63 points). During the fall sports season, Calvin produced 308.5 points as its men’s and women’s soccer teams, volleyball team and men’s and women’s cross country team all scored points. Calvin has now had nine of its 21 varsity sports teams score points in the Director’s Cup chase. The competition will conclude at the end of the spring sports season with a final set of standings set to be released in June.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

In Calvin athletics, what was the best play of the year? Who were the male and female newcomers of the year? What was the most exceptional performance in an individual event? Come to the arena on May 8 to find out. On Wednesday, May 8, at 7 p.m. in the Van Noord Arena, the Calvin C Club welcomes student-athletes, coaches and fans of the Knights to an evening of celebrating Calvin athletics. There will be desserts and refreshments, trophy displays, a “Year in Review” video and the presentation of 13 awards, culminating in the Tiemersma and Beré Awards for female and male athlete of the year. Registration for current Calvin student-athletes is available through their coaches, and registration for all others is available online now! Cost is just $10 for guests (reduced to $5 for current students and C Club members). Business attire is desired.

Don’t miss this historic first-ever night of Calvin athletic awards—RSVP by May 1!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A week after the Calvin men’s tennis team defeated the Hornets of Kalamazoo for the first time in school history, the women’s tennis team faced off against the Hornets. Because of rainy and wet weather conditions, the match was played inside the Huizinga Track and Tennis Center. The Knights were able to win the third doubles fight as well as sixth singles, but fell to Kalamazoo 7-2 overall. Calvin sophomores Ali Roode (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) and Samantha Reitsma (Grand Rapids/Northpointe Christian) defeated Kelsey Moran (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc HS) and Cheryl Zhang (Ada/Forest Hills Eastern) 8-6 at third doubles. Seniors Jordan Ipema (Kalamazoo/Kalamazoo Christian) and Elise Doezema (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) fell to Jenna Riehl (St. Joseph/St. Joseph HS) and Anna Latala (Grosse Ile/Grosse Ile HS) 9-7 at second doubles. The top four singles flights were all competitive, but the Hornets won each in straight sets without surrendering more than four games in any set. Reitsma fell to Olivia Bouchard (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard South) 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 at fifth singles. Doezema came up with Calvin’s lone singles point. She lost the first set in a tiebreak, but came back to win the next two - defeating Zhang 6-7(2), 7-5, 10-1 at six singles. Calvin falls to 2-12 on the season and 0-4 in MIAA play. The Knights return to action Sat., Apr. 13, when they host the Bulldogs of Adrian College. The match is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Looking for its first MIAA victory as a varsity sport, the women’s lacrosse team hosted Albion Wednesday afternoon at Zuidema Field. Despite jumping out to a 3-0 lead, Calvin could not hold on for the victory as Albion responded with five straight en route to a 7-6 Britons win. Calvin drops to 2-9 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA while Albion moves to 5-4 and 2-0 in conference play. The Knights now look forward to Saturday when they will host the Thunder of Trine for an early afternoon contest. The conference match is slated to start at 1 p.m.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

ALBION, MI - Looking for its first MIAA win in program history, the Calvin men’s lacrosse team traveled to Albion for a game against the Britons. Both teams braved the cold weather conditions as the host Britons sent the Knights back to Grand Rapids with a 22-1 loss. Albion sophomore Joel Hedemark (Chesterfield/Leanse Creuse North) scored the game’s first goal at the 9:25 mark of the first quarter. The Britons would add four more goals in the first quarter en route to a 5-0 lead after 15 minutes of play. The second quarter did not go much better for the Knights. Albion complied 11 goals in the quarter while outshooting Calvin 17-0. The Britons scooped up 21 ground balls compared to four for the Knights. Albion won nine of 12 faceoffs in the quarter. Calvin’s lone goal came in the third quarter. Sophomore Jonathan VanderLaan (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) scored with 3:58 remaining in the quarter on a pass from junior Casey Harless (DeWitt/DeWitt HS). The Knights couldn’t muster another goal, and watched the Britons score three goals in third quarter as well as the fourth. Calvin was outshot 46-6 in the contest, and earned 19 ground balls compared to Albion’s 60. Calvin senior goalie Drew Sroczynski (Dyer, IN/Illiana Christian) was credited with 10 saves. Calvin, 1-9, 0-2 MIAA, returns to action Sat., Apr. 13, when it travels to Angola, Ind., to face the Thunder of Trine University. The game is slated to start at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

ANGOLA, IN - The Calvin men’s tennis team won its sixth consecutive match Tues. afternoon defeated the Trine Thunder 6-3 in an MIAA dual meet. Calvin is now 9-2 on the season and 3-0 in MIAA play. Calvin won all three doubles flights, but two of the three were tight. Calvin seniors Preston Phillips (Bexley, OH/Bexley HS) and Phil Reinken (Morton, IL/Morton HS) defeated Caleb Knust (Plainfield, IN/Plainfield HS) and Dan Desper (Kendallville, IN/East Noble) 8-5 at first doubles. Senior Brian DeMaagd (Grandville/Calvin Christian) and junior Loukus Peterson (Brentwood, TN/Brentwood) defeated the Trine second doubles fight of Joe Dunbar (Carmel, IN/Blessed Theodore Guerin) and Zach Richardson (Muncie, IN/Delta) 8-3. The Calvin third doubles team of senior Jarrod Brower (Holland/Holland Christian) and junior John Strikwerda (Holland/Holland Christian) outlasted Nick Ihrie (Kendallville, IN/East Noble) and David Murray (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook HS) 8-6. The two MIAA foes split the six singles flights with Calvin winning at second, fourth and fifth singles. Phillips knocked off Dunbar 6-0, 6-3 at second singles. Peterson defeated Murray 6-0, 6-2 at fourth singles. At fifth singles, Brower defeated Joe Clark (Sturgis/Sturgis HS) 6-2, 7-5. Reinken won the first set at third singles, but was unable to close out the match and fell to Desper 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. With Kalamazoo defeating Hope 8-1, Calvin now holds a one game lead in the conference. The Knights return to action Fri., Apr. 12, when they participate in the first day of the MIAA/NCAC (North Coast Athletic Conference) Challenge.

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Calvin outfielder Ben Cok its Position Player of the Week for games played through April 7. Cok, a senior from Grand Rapids (GR Christian HS), hit .429 (6-for-14) with his first two home runs of the season and eight RBIs in leading the Knights to a four-game sweep of MIAA rival Kalamazoo. He also scored five runs and stole two bases during the series. Cok is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in his career.

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association named Calvin’s Brian DeMaagd its Player of the Week in men’s tennis for matches played through April 7. DeMaagd, a senior from Grandville (Calvin Christian HS), won both his matches at No. 1 singles and at No. 2 doubles in leading the Knights to a pair of MIAA victories. He sparked the Knights to their first victory ever over traditional MIAA power Kalamazoo with a 6-3, 6-3 singles win and an 8-4 doubles win. He also posted a 6-4, 6-1 singles win and an 8-5 doubles win against Alma. DeMaagd is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in his career.

Monday, April 08, 2013

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced its Athletes of the Week in track and field through April 7 and Calvin’s Dan Kerr (men) and Nicole Michmerhuizen (women) have been named the MIAA’s Track Athletes of the Week. Kerr, a senior from Petoskey (Petoskey HS), won the men’s 5,000-meter run at the Michigan State Invitational in East Lansing in a time of 14:43.62, leading a pack of four Calvin runners who finished in the top 10. He is being honored as Track Athlete of the Week for the first time in his career. Michmerhuizen, a junior from Holland (Holland Christian HS), took first place in the women’s 5,000-meter run at the Michigan State Invitational in East Lansing, finishing with a time of 17:16.37. She is being honored as Track Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career. Both Calvin track and field teams are preparing to compete at the MIAA Jamboree this Saturday at Olivet College.